Dear Class of 2020,

Welcome to the big leagues! Now that you have weathered the long days and (hopefully) fun nights of Orientation Week, the real journey into dental school begins. I would like to offer a few bits of advice as you all navigate the starting blocks of first year.

1. Embrace your variety. The people in your class come from a diverse background. You’ll have those who come from dental dynasties and those who are blazing a brand new trail. You’ll have those who are undergoing a career change and those who are fresh off the college campus. You’ll have those who can speak three languages and those with a killer topspin serve. Everyone in your class has something unique to offer. It may not be obvious this month or this semester, but pay attention and everyone will surprise you at some point over the next few years. That’s the awesome thing about having a small class; you will make friends that you’ll have for the rest of your life.

2. Stop planning for the future. I know this is a difficult one. It’s easy at the beginning to get so caught up in all of the things you have looming in the distant future…a seemingly scary amount of finals, seeing your first patients in clinic, graduation, life as a practicing dentist, etc. Stop it. Live in the present. That’s not to say you should ignore future events altogether, but don’t be consumed by them. Enjoy your time as first years. Even if at times things seem irrelevant or tedious. You will be much less stressed if you take each challenge of dental school one day at a time. (And for the love of all things dental, do not start asking about Boards until at least January…)

3. Take a day off. Memorizing endless anatomy will get stressful, and exams will pile up. You will get tired of burning yourself with wax. You will get frustrated with some of the people around you. When that time hits, give yourself a mental break. Go fishing. Go to a movie. Go adopt a puppy (just kidding, don’t do this on a whim). Take the time to disconnect from school and stress. It’s that reset that is the key to success—not how many sleepless nights you can spend making flashcards.

4. Trial-by-fire is an excellent way to learn. You’ll quickly realize that with dentistry, what is applicable in lecture is limited. You can learn only so much be listening and visualizing. At some point, you just have to do. This can be a frustrating transition, but it’s a transition that will force you to grow and become a better dental student. And this is not just limited to getting your hand skills in lab. Go assist some upperclassmen in clinic. You may not be in the driver seat, but you will learn some lessons that the classroom will never teach you.

5. This is much more than just “school” or the beginning of a “career.” This is the rest of your life. Be extraordinary.

Cheers!

Your ASDA Electronic Editor,

Luke A. Harden

(Shoutout to the nine from Costa Rica '15 for the sand molar...see, you can have fun in dental school)

Oral hygiene is important--no matter how furry you may be. Happy Summer Break to all! --Milo, the Samoyed 

ALL LICENSURE PATHWAYS NOW ACCEPTED IN COLORADO FOLLOWING A STATE DENTAL BOARD POLICY AMENDMENT

DENVER, Colorado—The Colorado Dental Board voted to amend their licensure policy to accept all existing licensure pathways including all regional clinical examinations, PGY-1, hybrid-portfolio, and the OSCE.

ASDA has been working for some time now to make changes to the current licensure model that includes the use of live-patient exams. Little by little, steps have been taken in Colorado to ensure that this change would happen.

In 2013, DORA released a document as part of the Sunset Review stating that one of their top 3 “Key Recommendations” was to revise the clinical examination requirements for the state in order to allow acceptance of alternative licensure pathways including those that do not require a live patient.

In 2014, the state adopted new wording to the Dental Practice Act adding letter C to statute 12-35-119 (1) saying that the state will accept “other methodology, as determined by the board, designed to test the applicant’s clinical skills and knowledge, which may include residency and portfolio models” in lieu of a traditional live-patient clinical exam.

And lastly, just this year, the Colorado Dental Board amended their 1.A Clinical Examination policy to officially accept all existing licensure pathways in the US including all regional clinical examinations (ADEX administered by CITA and CDCA, CRDTS, SRTA, and WREB), the completion of a PGY-1 program or hybrid-portfolio model from the state or jurisdiction where licensure was originally obtained, and the Canadian OSCE for initial licensure, making Colorado the first state to make this change.

Here is what we know:

• You can take any regional clinical examination to apply for initial licensure in Colorado
• You can take the Canadian OSCE to apply for initial licensure in Colorado
• If you went to school in California and were licensed via the hybrid-portfolio model, you can now apply for licensure in Colorado
• If you went to school and were licensed in a state that accepts PGY-1 (a one-year residency), you can now apply for licensure in Colorado

Although some details are not known at this time, this is a huge step forward for licensure reform in the United States.

Stay tuned for updates and more information as we receive it. Get all the news first right here with Colorado ASDA on your number one advocacy blog—the Colorado Quickset.

At this point, you’ve probably discovered that dental school is much like drinking water from a fire hydrant. And, once you start studying for Part 1 Boards, you’ll realize why. To be entirely honest, there’s no way to feel completely prepared to take the exam—regardless of how hard you studied or how well you typically performed in your didactic classes, you’ll undoubtedly feel like you absolutely bombed it. This being said, the national pass rate is astronomically high. According to the ADA’s most recent release of testing data, only 6.3% of students failed in 2013. And, as rumor has it, CU’s pass rate is above the national average. So, to say the least, the odds are in your favor.

Format and Scoring:

The test’s format is pretty basic—a mere 400 multiple-choice questions. Although the questions are broken down into four categories (anatomical sciences, biochemistry/physiology, microbiology/pathology, and dental anatomy/occlusion), you will receive questions at random. In other words, you may have a question regarding the central incisor right after one on kidney pathology. Once you answer 200 questions, you will be rewarded with an optional one hour break—you may take as much of this as you desire. Your score is based off how many questions you answered correctly, and then it is scaled to account for differences in difficulty across exams. Although no one knows for certain, every exam is different, but similar questions do pop up between different versions.

It is rumored that a 55-60% percent score will suffice as a “passing” grade. That being said, the strategy in taking this test is very different from your typical dental exam—read on below to ensure you get that pass.

Studying tips:

• Start early
  • It’s always best to do a small amount of studying every day instead of saving it for the last few days before the test. Many of my classmates and I began about one month out. It is generally suggested that anywhere between three and five weeks is adequate, but this all depends on your individual studying style.
• Make a schedule
  • The more organized and diligent you are about setting and sticking to a schedule of studying, the less stress you will experience and the more likely you will pass.
  • If you’re using the decks, break them down into categories, doing a certain number of cards everyday.
  • Leave yourself the day before your exam to relax and do something fun!
  • Base your schedule and exam date off other exams for your didactic classes—it’s easy to forget about your day-to-day responsibilities!
  • Don’t reinvent the wheel—there are plenty of pre-made schedules floating around that are very easy to follow.
• Diversify your materials
  • There are typically two main sources of study material that students utilize—the Dental Boards Mastery App and the Dental Decks flash cards (from a variety of years). I highly suggest that you use both in some capacity.
  • Chose one source to read thoroughly—use the other simply as flashcards to gain exposure at a high volume.
• Study smarter, not harder
  • Remember—there’s truly no way to be completely prepared to take the exam. It’s important to realize that the test is extremely hard and that you will miss many questions—don’t overdo it! Understand it’s virtually impossible to get an A—all you need is to pass (actually, you won’t ever see your score)!
  • Focus on the high yield topics—dental anatomy/occlusion and general anatomy. These sections will make or break you—but if you know them well, you can almost guarantee passing. The categories of biochemistry/physiology and microbiology/pathology are so vast that developing a thorough understanding of every detail is unrealistic. Definitely study these topics, but only for surface-level understanding.
  • Implement the sandwich technique—start off with dental anatomy and general anatomy, move on to the lower yield topics, and finish with dental anatomy and general anatomy—this will give you double exposure to the high yield topics, while still making you familiar with the low yield topics.

A day in the life:

Below you will find a play-by-play of a typical day of boards studying:

7:00: Wake up, drink coffee

7:30-10:00—STUDY. Go through the Dental Boards Mastery App, reading thoroughly each card

10:00-12:00—Class

12:00-1:00—Lunch

1:00-3:00—Class

3:00-5:00—Workout or do something active

5:00-6:00—Eat Dinner

6:00-9:00—STUDY. Repeat the same cards from the morning, or use an alternate source as quick flash cards

ACTS… those four letters—that one word—marking light at the end of a very long tunnel we all know as dental school. I never thought I’d ever make it through all of the PowerPoints, Scantron exams, lab practicals, and perio lab cleanings before the school would trust me enough to send me off to get a taste of real world dentistry. For my first rotation, I was sent to Grand Junction—on Colorado’s western slope—where I spent three weeks working at the Marillac Clinic.

ACTS stands for Advanced Clinical Training and Service Program. Each student spends approximately 2-3 weeks in a dental clinic or practice (usually in areas that are considered underserved) in a location in just about every corner of the state of Colorado. The student then returns to the school clinics for 2 weeks, and then another 2-3 weeks in a different location. This cycle continues for the summer and fall of the fourth year of dental school.

There are a few things I learned about ACTS while I was away from school. First, there is a life beyond axiUm (the dreaded patient software) and the endless amount of faculty approvals needed to complete a new patient exam or even a simple restoration. Appointments weren’t spent stalking faculty for a “quick” check or swipe. There was so much freedom! The second thing I learned while on ACTS was that having an assistant is ah-mazing. To be truthful, my clinic didn’t have assistants dedicated to us students. But, there were days when one of the doctors wasn’t in and those assistants were all ours. Fourhanded dentistry, as Dr. DeLapp describes it, is a real thing and it’s something to look forward to. I found myself not having to de-glove every 10 minutes to get up and grab something. These small perks seem to make the strongest impressions. Lastly, we really are well prepared for life after dental school. Being that I was in the first group in my class to go on rotation, I thought I might be at a disadvantage because I was less experienced. For the first couple of days, I was a little unsure of my abilities and myself. As time went on, I gained more confidence and was able to get a patient in and out of the chair in an hour or less. That’s right, dental appointments don’t last two and a half hours on ACTS like they do at the dental school. Sure, we will never know everything there is to know about dentistry. Just know that you won’t be completely lost—even though some people try to tell you otherwise! Just make the most of the experience, and you’ll learn a lot!

Here are some tips to make the most of your ACTS experience:

1. Be confident, but not cocky. Realize that you have some skills! You’ve been seeing patients since fall of second year. You’re a DS3.5 now, you know a little something. Just don’t try to be a hero, know your limits and when to stop and ask for help; that’s why these clinics have preceptors.
2. Don’t just sit around. Some clinics give students their own columns with their own patients and some don’t. If you have an opening in your schedule, look at the other doctor’s schedule and ask if you can see his or her patient for that appointment.
3. The doctors aren’t the only ones providing you with some education. Work with your assistant. They’ll teach you how to do dentistry with another person other than your patient. We get so used to working alone at school or using our patients as assistants to hold the suction. Take advantage of the fact that you have an extra set of hands.
4. Remember, you’re not in Aurora anymore. If you get sent to a distance site, don’t whine about how far you are from home. Instead, adventure out and see what your new town has to offer. Go hiking, fishing, camping, tour a microbrewery, eat at a new restaurant, or something else super Colorado-y.

Good luck!

Up to this point in dental school, I have had the perfect patient for every crown and restoration I’ve ever done. They’ve stayed perfectly still, let me put them in any number of ridiculous positions in order to get direct vision, and let me stretch their cheeks out over their ears if that’s what I needed. Their teeth all had perfect anatomy, their tongue never got in the way, and even if I sent a bur through their cheek, they never complained.

That’s because until this summer, I have only ever done restorative dentistry on a rubber mannequin I refer to as Plaquesico Burress. That all changes now that I have a few class II restorations planned on a living, biting, enamel-wielding patient. The transition into the real clinic is an extremely intimidating and stressful experience for all of us DS2’s, even though we know we’ll get the hang of it. Our class has been told time and time again that we are leaps ahead of where the graduating class was at this point in their second year, but we can’t help feeling like we really have no idea what’s going on.

This short article will give you all of the tips you need to seamlessly transition to the second floor clinic in the second week of May during your second year of dental school. Except that it won’t. (I am just as lost as the rest of you). What it might do is help us realize that even though we don’t know how to do everything yet, we do know how to talk to the right people to help us figure it out. After all, Dr. Woolum hates to see us cry.

So, use the faculty. Even though we’ve all seen some of them sneaking around the school as 5 o’clock approaches, avoiding eye contact so they can sneak out undisturbed to the life they apparently have outside the school, for the most part they just want to help. Remember that they had to jump through all of the same hoops at some point in their lives and I think it’s fair to say most of them want to make it easier on us. You may even surprise yourself and do everything correctly, leading to that awkward moment when all the faculty says to your question is “looks good,” so you leave even more afraid than when you came in.

Next, talk to your coordinator. Frequently. They are all very good at their jobs, but we need to realize they are in charge of managing dozens of students and hundreds of patients. If we need a patient or have an issue with a patient, it is up to us to ask them for help. They can’t make everyone happy all the time, but if you talk to them face to face you’ll usually get what you're looking for.

My third tip is to learn Axium. Thoroughly. That’s about all I can say about it. Hopefully when I reread this article I’ll find it convincing enough that I'll actually sit down for an hour or two myself and make sure I can do everything we need to on that lovely program. After all, it holds the key to us graduating on time.

Finally, practice what you’ve learned in the sim clinic. We all like to think that since we passed our direct restorative lab last summer we’ll be able to fill anything our coordinator throws our way. But maybe we need to go back and see if we even remember how to tighten down a Tofflemire retainer first. The truth is, many of us haven’t practiced those restorations much since then because we’ve been searching for the mythical undercut or figuring out if acrylic provisionals are just a joke the faculty is playing on us. We all love ISTR by the way. So yeah, practice. All parties involved will be very glad you did. Go into your appointments with more confidence, and both your patient and faculty will be more relaxed and cooperative.

So take it from me, someone who has literally no more experience or knowledge on the subject than you do, the transition to the clinic will go smoothly and will actually be fun. After all, this is what we’re really here for right?

Dental school is a very arduous experience; and solely finishing school doesn’t actually get us what we want – not by itself anyway. To become a dentist in most states throughout the US, there are several requirements, which include, but are not necessarily limited to:

• A degree from an ADA CODA-accredited dental school,
• Passing the National Board Dental Examinations I and II,
• Passing one of the Regional Board Examinations

Though regional board exams are a point of controversy among many in the United States right now, they are still a part of our current situation…. So we have to be able to conquer them! This becomes a daunting process when you are looking to spend upwards of $3,500 and the first things you hear about boards may be tidbits like…. “I still have nightmares about those 2 days,”  “I’ve never felt so much stress in my life,” “It was hell.”

So what was my first step? I assisted candidates taking both of the regional board examinations offered at our school, WREB and CRDTS, to help me decide which one to take.  I can’t emphasize enough how great of a learning experience this was! Not only did I get to see and experience how nerve-wracking boards is, I got to watch a plethora of students make it through the process unscathed!

What did I gain from assisting? I learned that getting good patients is vitally important (including making sure the nearby teeth are also in good shape).  I also learned how important it is to trust your instincts and skills! Another important piece of advice is to practice using all materials and instruments you intend to use on the day of - don’t try anything new you’ve never done before.  Additionally, I learned that you should always do a final inspection of your preparation with the super-sharp explorer that is sent up with the patient, because that’s what your graders will be using.  Finally, I learned how important it is to know the in’s and out’s of the specific test you are taking --- read and learn the instruction manual ahead of time!

Most importantly, I decided on which exam I will be taking.  This is a different decision-making process for everyone because it depends on multiple factors such as where you intend to live and what your specific strengths/weaknesses are.  So to all those 4^th years who passed boards in the last few months – CONGRATS! To all my fellow 3^rd years who will be taking boards less than a year from now – GOOD LUCK! To all of the 2^nd and 1^st years who still have some time – make sure to assist various boards exams, get some cash along the way, and see which exam suits you more.

National Dental Student Lobby Day: my first national meeting and what I would consider the beginning of my involvement with ASDA. Attending what is considered the most influential annual meeting that ASDA holds every year was an honor, and I’m glad to be able to attend again this year. This is an event where over 400 students from schools nationwide come together to lobby about important issues in organized dentistry as a unified voice, seeing that changes occurring in the profession are brought about by the ones who know it best: dentists and dental students.

As the newly appointed vice president of Colorado ASDA and first legislative liaison, it is my responsibility to relay information and updates about any current issues in dentistry. This entails being up-to-date on current legislation that could pass, or has passed, in either the House of Representatives or the Senate. Although these are my duties as the first legislative liaison, it is in everyone’s interest to remain engaged during the legislative process involving these issues because decisions made in the coming years will affect all of us within the profession. While I’m not expecting everyone who reads this to try and set up meetings with legislators (frankly I’m happy you’re still reading), I would like people to be informed with what is going on in the world of organized dentistry, and what issues we are lobbying for in DC this Tuesday. Mid-level providers, access to care, licensure, and student debt are a few considerable issues that are of concern. Student debt and access to care specifically are the two that ASDA has decided to focus on at National Lobby Day this year. Two bills aimed at helping lower student debt are H.R. 649 (Student Loan Refinancing Act) and H.R. 4223 (Post Grad Act). The Student Loan Refinancing Act would allow graduates to refinance their student loans if a lower interest rate becomes available down the road. The Post Grad Act would make it much easier to get subsidized student loans while in school, meaning that students would not accrue interest while in school as well as for six months post-graduation. If both of these bills were to pass, students would have the potential to save tens of thousands of dollars! The third bill that will be lobbied for on Tuesday is H.R. 539 (Action for Dental Health Act of 2015) and addresses the access to care issue. The Action for Dental Health Act of 2015 would allow programs such as Mission of Mercy (MOM) and Give Kids a Smile to apply for readily available funds (around $15 million) that the CDC has set aside for public health projects. This bill is an amendment to the Public Health Service Act due to its current exclusion criteria regarding what sort of organizations can apply for these funds.

Albeit somewhat brief, this is what is going on in the world of organized dentistry at the current time! It would not surprise me if most of this information is foreign to you, but I hope that this new knowledge you now possess will motivate you to stay informed on the current issues in our profession.